Web printing machine



J. J. HAROLD WEB PRINTING MACHINE Filed April 9, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l .30 I II} .9/ h I I III 1.9 20 int i 9 7T M El INVENTQR. 3 45466 Ara-"Y.

Feb. 5, 1935.

J. J. HAROLD WEB PRINTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1932 Patented Feb. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Hoe 80 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a.- corporation of New York; Irving Trust Company, ermanent trustee Application April 9, 1932, Serial No. 604,139 12 Claims (o1.2':1 2.1)

This invention relates in general to web printing machines and more particularly to means for preventing the web feeding to a printing mechanism, becoming entangled therein in case of accidental breakage of the web between the printing mechanism and the folding mechanism of the machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a means for severingthe web feeding from a web roll and thereby preventing same from wrapping around the various units of the printing mechanism should a break occur in said web at a point beyond the printing mechanism. v

It is also an object of the invention to provide means oi the kind indicated of generally improved construction whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction,- as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and eificient in its usea With the foregoing and other-objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it

' being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. l

The method and means hereinafter described does not rely upon the stopping of the printing machine to prevent injury thereto should a break occur in the web at a point beyond the printing cylinders, butdepends on the fact that the several rollers over which the web is passed in order to lead it through the press, are normally arranged or set at right angles to the direction of travel of the web and that any appreciable misalignment of any of the rollers is very apt to break the web. Since there is a slight degree of elasticity in the paper, the web may resist breakage to some extent ii the rollers are slightly out of alignment, this, however, being true only at low speeds. However, at normal operating speeds or the high speeds at which rotary presses arenow operated,

great accuracy in the way of correct alignment of the web with the rollers, or vice versa, is required since the slightest misalignment is apt to break the web. The present invention makes use of this fact to break the web in case of a previous web break between the printing cylinders and the folding mechanism, this previous web break serving, by means of any well-known web break detector (not shown) to complete a circuit for actu- -ating electric means serving to eflect the imme= diate rebreakage of theweb at a point between the web roll and the printing units, this preventing what is called a winder; i. oi, the entangling or wrapping of the web about the printing and inking units which causes not only inconvenience and delay, but resulting in many cases in serious damage to the printing and inking units and to the frame of the printing machine, as is wellknown.

It is, therefore, desirable to sever the feeding web at a point between the web roll and the printing cylinders whenever a web break occurs be yond the printing cylinders; In accordance with the present invention, this is accomplished by temporarily misaligning one of the rollers which guides or leads the web from the roll to the first impression cylinder: In the majority of high speed rotary presses, the shaft ends or journals of the rollers are mounted on ball or roller bearings secured in a bracket or arm fastened to the press framework, and in case these are of the self-aligning type the said temporary misaligning of the roller shaft may include,- if desired, the application of the said misaligned end of the roller to a braking surface. Wherethe bearings are not self-aligning, the misalignment of the roller shaft will cause a binding of same which will tend to check the rotation of the roll and sever the running web at once, it being observed that the misalignment will place one side or edge of the running web under a tension that will almost inevitably tear same at that place;

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is an elevational view, partly in sec-' tion, of an embodiment of the invention wherein means are shown for automatically moving a support for a web guiding roller, in order to sever the web or sheet at an adjacent point, should same be severed between the printing and folding units,- as mentioned above;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modified form of the invention showing the normal operative position of the web and web severing mechanism;- Y I Figure 3 isa View looking in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 2, showing the web severing means prior to actuation;

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing the web being severed or torn by the means shown in Figure 2, and v Figure 5 is a fragmentary reduced elevational view as viewed in the direction of the arrow 5 of Figure 4 showing the device after operation,

mounted on a stud 10 fastened to the frame. 9,; and fastened thereto by a washer 11 and cap screw 12, is a bracket or arm 13, preferably formed of non-magnetic material, such as alu= minum, bronze or the like,which is provided with a bearing 14 in which the shaft 15 of a pipe roller or web guiding roller 16 is rotatably supported. The bracket 13, as clearly shown in Figure 1, is arranged to seat on a block or plate 17, fastened in any suitable manner to the frame 9. A solenoid 18 is also secured to the frame 9 by screws 19, the solenoid 18 being provided with an armature plunger 20 which is adapted to coact with an extended portion of a pivotally mounted latch or trigger arm 21, for a purpose which willappear hereinafter. The trigger arm 21 is hingedly mounted on a bolt or stud 22 fastened to the frame 9, and held in position by a washer 23 and a cap screw 24.

By further inspection of Figure 1 it will be seen the trigger arm 21 has secured thereto, or formed integrally therewith, a catch or shouldered head 25 having a hardened wearing plate 26 which coacts with a shoulder 27 formed on the said bracketor arm 13. The trigger arm 21, it wiil be observed, is adapted to be rocked or swung out of engagement thereby permitting the roller 16 and consequently the bracket 13 to be swung or tilted upwardly by the pull of the web, against an adjustable stop comprising a set screw 23 thread= edly engaged in a poppet or lug 29 secured to a portion of the frame 9, a lock nut 28 securing the set screw 28 to the desired height or position forlimiting the movement of the'bracket 13. The rocking of the trigger arm 21 is accomplished by means of the armature plunger-20 when the solenoid 18 is energized, this being accomplished as shown in Fig. -1 by means of circuit 30 which is completed when a web break detector included therein of conventional type indicated generally at 30', and normally'in contact with the feeding web is actuated when the latter is severed at a point beyond the printing units. As illustrated, the bracket orarm 13 normally locked-in the position shown by the trigger 'catch25, the feeding web tending to pull upwardly the roller 16 and the bracket 13: Also, if desired, suitable means for lubricating the stud 10 on which thearm 13 is swingably and removably mounted, may include a grease cup or member 31. I

The operation of the device is automatic in the sense that should the web of the web roll feeding to a printing machine accidently break between the printing units and folding units, a circuit wiii thereby be completed by a conventional web breai; detector as indicated above, solenoid 18 consequently being energized, thus causing the plunger armature 20 to spring up or strike against the extended portion of the trigger arm 21'and rocking the latter about its fulcrum or stud 22, this resulting in disengagement of the catch head 26 from the shouldered portion 27 of the bracket or arm 13 permitting the web guiding roller 16 rotatably supported'in said arm 13 to be liftedat one end or tilted by the pull of-the feeding web which is engaged with the roller 16 having its shaft 15 rotatably mounted in said bracket 13. The misalignment or tilting of the roller 16 by the pull of the web will at once effect the severing of the latter thereby releasing the pull on the said pipe roller 16 permitting the bracket 13 in which the adjacent end of the roller is supported-t0 drop back by its own weight -into its normal position of rest on the block 17 where it is at once reengaged by the latch 25.

The bearing 14 for the shaft 15 may be assumed to be not of the self-aligning type, the web break in this instance being effected by the misalignmentand consequentbinding of the roller shaft and to the abrupt movement and stopping of the bracket or arm 13 and shaft 15 as the saidbracket strikes against the stop thereby communicating a shock or jerk to the web which will insure the breaking of same should the preliminarymisaligning of the roller shaft fail to accomplish this result.

In Figures 2 to '5 inclusive a modified form 01" the invention is shown in which the severing of the web after a'preliminary accidental web break between the printing units and foldingmecha nism of a printing machine is accomplished'by causing one end of the rotating shaft of the web guiding roller to misalignand engage a braking surface, thereby bringing the misaligned shaft to a stop and consequently severing the web at a point before same enters the printing units. In this form of the invention, the numeral 38 .de'sig nates a frame of a printing machine to which a web 39 is feeding. The web 39 is led from a roll 40 rotatably supported in any suitable manner, torollers 41, 42 and thence-to roller 43 which has a shaft 44, one end 45 of which'may be secured ina rigid bearing blockor hanger 46 fastened to the frame 38, the other end 47 of the shaft-- inaccordance with the present invention being rotatably supported on a bearing 48 secured in an on a stud 50 in a manner similar to that'shown'in' Figure 1 in the other-form of the invention and normally at rest on a'block or stop plate 51 se-' cured in any suitable manner to the frame 38 of the present form ofthe invention. In the instant form, the shaft end 47 has secured directly in any; suitable manner a sleeve or drum 52 which adapted when the bracket49 is releasedby'the electro-magnetically controlled latch or trigger arm 53, to be moved or tilted upwardly by the pull of the web 39 during normal operation,'this action'occurrmg after thesolenoid 54 of themesent modification has been energized, thereby causing the plunger armature 55 of the said solenoid 54 to strike against an end of the fulcrume latch 53, the head 56 of which is engaged with a shoulder 57 on the bracket 49. The disengage-- ment of the head 56 of the latch from the shoulder 57 of the bracket will now permit the roller 43 to rise or tilt upwardly thereby simultaneously misaligning the shaft 44-. and frictionally engaging the braking drum 52 with a stop block or member 58 rigidly secured to the frame'38 and serving with the drum 52, as a braking instrumentality. The cumulative effect of the misalignarm or bracket 49 which is swingably mounted while in Figures 4 and the solenoid 54 has been actuated to permit the arm 53 and the adjacent shaft end 47 retained therein to move or tilt upwardly by the pull of the feeding web to misalign the said shaft 44, it being observed that the web 39 is in the act of being severed, as indicated by the jagged link in Figure 4.

v The component parts of the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 2 to 5 inclusive are practically identical with those shown in Figure 1 save as to the drum 52 and the braking stop 58 which latter details may be preferred where self -aligning bearings are employed, in order to provide a double assurance that the web 39 will be severed, although the sharp movement and misalignment of the web guiding roller 43 will in nearly all cases effect the severance of the web. The comparatively short and isolated section or disconnected portion of the web between the printing mechanism and the web roll will be discarded or ejected by the machine without entering the folding units, no possible damage therefore can occur to same or the other component parts of the printing machine.

After the printing machine is stopped subsequent to a web break, the trigger arm 53 will descend into the normal position shown in Figures 1 and 2 where it is operative to maintain the bracket arm in position on the rest 51 for correct operative alignment of the shaft 44-this cycle be repeated as often as the web is severed while feeding.

From the above description, it will be seen that after an initial web break, the web is again severed, the disconnected portion ejected from the machine, and the roller 16 returned by the bracket 13 to normal operating position effective for guiding and supporting the web, the entire process being automatic.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, guiding means for a web, said guiding means being mounted at one end in a. fixed support and at another end in a movable support normally held in a fixed position when said web is feeding to a coacting printing machine, and means automatically operative to release the movable support, and thereby sever said web at a point adjacent said guiding means by misaligning the guiding means.

2. In a device of the kind described, a web guiding roller rotatably mounted in a fixed support and a movable support, means for retaining said movable support in normal position for operatively permitting a web thereon to feed to a printing press, and electrically-controlled means for releasing said first-mentioned means to misalign the roller and thereby sever the web after a breakin said web has already occurred while being acted upon by said printing machine.

3. In printing mechanism, web guiding means rotatably mounted at one end on a fixed support and at another end on a movable support, and electrically-controlled means for releasing the said movable support, thereby permitting the web guiding means to be misaligned by the pull of the web in order to break the web after said web has been previously severed at another point while feeding to said printing mechanism.

4. In printing mechanism, a Web guiding roller rotatably mounted at one end on a member movably mounted about a pivot and at another end in a fixed support, said member normally being held stationary, and means governed by an electric circuit adapted to be completed when a web engaged with said guiding roller and feeding to a printing machine is severed between printing and folding units of said printing mechanism, for again severing the said web by releasing said member to misalign the roller by the pull of the web to prevent the formation of a winder.

5. In a printing machine, the combination of a roller adapted to guide a running web engaged therewith, a hinged member for supporting said roller, at one end, a fixed member for supporting the roller at another end, and a trigger catch for releasingly maintaining the hinged member in position for holding said roller in operative alignment for guiding said web, said trigger catch being automatically operated when said web is accidentally severed while feeding, thereby permitting the pull of the web to tilt one end of and misalign said roller causing a reseverance of the web.

6. The method of safeguarding a printing machine in case of the accidental breakage of a web feeding from a roll to said printing machine during operation at a point between printing and folding units of the machine, which consists in immediately rebreaking said web at a point adjacent said roll by the misalignment of the roll, thereby isolating a comparatively short disconnected section and then discarding said short section by the normal running of said machine.

7. In a printing machine, a guide roller for a web, a hinged bracket supporting said roller at one end, fixed means supporting the roller at another end, a trigger catch for normally holding said bracket and roller in aligned position but permitting, when actuated, said bracket and roller to tilt by the pull of the web, and means for variably limiting the degree of tilt of said roller.

8. In a printing machine, a web guiding roller, rockingly mounted means supporting said roller at one end, fixed means supporting the roller at another end, a fixed rest coacting with a hinged trigger catch for normally maintaining said means and consequently said roller in operative position, and an adjustable stop for variably limiting the degree of movement of said means after the means is disengaged by said trigger catch and caused to move by the pull of a web engaged therewith, whereby said roller is misaligned and said web severed adjacent thereto.

9. In a web printing machine, a web guiding roller, a plurality of bearings for rotatably supporting the roller to bear with substantially equal pressure throughout the width of the web, one of said bearings being fixed in position, and a second of said bearings being movable by the pull of the web; means for normally holding said second bearing in position, and means for releasing the said second bearing to break the web.

10. In a web printing machine, a rotatably supported web guiding roller around which the web runs, a plurality of supports for the roller, one of said supports being fixed and another of the supports being movable by the pull of the web to an extent that will misalign the roller and break the web, and electrically actuated means to normally retain said last-mentioned support in fixedeoper ative position and to release same for misaligning and consequently for breaking the web.

11. In a web printing machine, a web guiding roller, a fixed bearing for rotatably supporting the roller at one end, a movable bearing for supporting the said roller at another end, means-non mally maintaining the movable bearing in position for operatively supporting the roller but adapted to release an adjacent end of the roller when thesaid means are actuated, and a stop adapted to check the movement of the movable bearing, whereby when the roller is moved'and misalignedby the, pull of the web after the said means are actuated, the said step will insure the breaking of; theweb ,incase the misaligning of the roller fails to accomplish same. 12. A, combination as specified in claim 7 wherein means are provided forautomatically resetting the ,roller in normal position. 7

e JOHN J. HAROLD.

CERTlFICATE 0F GORRECTIQN.

Patent No. 1, 89., 689. February 5, 1935.

EOHN .l. HARGLD.

It is hereby certified that error apoears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, first column, line 31, for "be" read being; aml second column, line 37, claim 6, after "roll,"

insert the words and comma at one end by the pull of the web,; and that the said.

Letters Patent should he read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th they of June, A, l) 1935.

Bryan M. Battey {Seat} Aetirig Commissioeer of Patents. 

